Lately, I’ve been questioning the significance of my writing, both on and offline. Is it just a great deal of effort to produce something which eventually falls on blind eyes and deaf ears? People no longer possess the attention span to read a paragraph of text, let alone an entire article or a book. Does this make my original mission pointless? The uncertainty has definitely hampered it but has it halted it? Not by a long-shot. If I can break through to even the smallest audience, I’d feel as if I accomplished something. That said, if you’re already bored and would rather go watch a video of a cat dancing or some dude jumping off a roof into a pick-up truck, go ahead and do so. I’m actually surprised you made it this far. But make sure you first “like” this post anyway because you think the picture is funny. But if you’re going to try and stick it out, you’re a trooper; maybe even a warrior if you actually make it to the end of my rant.

Back to the point at hand, people simply don’t read anymore. Not only is the print medium basically dead, but online readership has greatly decreased as well, especially when a written piece requires scrolling, links out from it’s site of origin or is not written in a short, chunked and numbered format. We love catchy phrases and sexy images. If something isn’t funny, trendy or entertaining in some way it’s not worth looking at. We love to watch people get hurt doing stupid things; we love the dramas that unfold on the news. We do exactly what we’re told without even knowing it. We are driven to fear, anger, happiness and envy all in a short 10 minutes of watching. It’s no wonder we have no attention span…it’s constantly being hijacked by the most insignificant, lowest forms of marketing-driven media.
After enduring enough of this stream of pointlessness, our minds are exhausted and left with only the attention span for reading/sharing memes with one another. No real connection, no commitment. Just something to nod or laugh about. These anecdotes give zero enrichment to one’s intelligence.

In my own experience, I’ve found that my article posts go greatly ignored while a simple meme generates an onslaught of response; so much so, that I feel forced to create such shallow content simply as a tool to keep my existing followers. But seriously, what do we truly learn from these short phrases and dramatic images? Have they helped change or transform our lives? To me, they just seem like cheap, nutrient deficient, fast food for the brain; another quick fix because we don’t care enough to take the time to research, learn and apply those teachings to our way of life.

I recently read a statistic that 85% of online video is watched with the audio turned off! What? This clearly indicates, to me, that people have a severe lack of an attention span even when something may seem interesting to them. But why even bother at this point? If we aren’t absorbing the content in it’s entirety, how much are we missing? If we disconnect from the context, what do we get out of it?

Our increasing desire to have everything served to us quicker and easier is the very essence of our world problems in a nutshell. On some level, we really just don’t care about much. We just want to pass the time and let “those in control” take care of the real problems. And since we’re told that it’s the president’s job, we get caught up in the emptiness of that story as well. Control is an illusion which we are led to believe. But we ARE, in fact, the majority. We vote with our minds and wallets every single day; this is the real election. This is how we are putting that 1% on the throne (not through some fake election). We fail to realize the simple connection between our personal life choices and how they keep those in power reigning above us. Instead, we squabble about which “actor” would make a better leader for our country. We play into the distraction while the true rulers continue to laugh and make their deals and decisions behind closed doors. We buy into all of the bullshit we’re told about politics, health and other social issues because we’re simply too damned lazy to find out what is really going on.

If you’re sitting back and waiting for change to happen around you, you will waste the time away until the very day you cease to exist. It’s only when we block out the noise around us and change ourselves that the world around us begins to change as well. Imagine if the entire majority realized this? The corrupt system as we know it would collapse. Put all that on a meme.

Juicing holds a special place in my heart; it changed my life 2 years ago when I fasted on it for a total of 45 days (20/10/10/5). I shed 70 pounds, went full on vegan, reversed my high cholesterol and high blood pressure, curbed many bad habits including (food addiction, alcohol and caffeine) and completely overhauled my eating habits from the ground up. This all happened over 6 months. Crazy, right? Nope. Not crazy at all. It’s science really.

To me, it will always be known as the most powerful weapon in my arsenal; a weapon that fought (and won) against my most destructive habits. It changed both my physical and mental health forever. Some see it as a trendy, hipster fad; conventional doctors don’t recommend it; the mainstream media pokes fun at it any chance they get. But you’ve gotta let all that brain chatter go. It’s the real deal, if you do it right.

That said, I’d like to share with you some tips that were not only vital in making my juice fasts a success; but were the very things that helped keep me on the right path for good!

1) Drink warm Lemon Water when you wake up to jumpstart digestive system; this may even eventually replace your morning coffee habit.

2) Drink 5 or 6 (12-16oz) Juices every day. There is no limit, drink even more if you want.

3) Drink tons of water in between juices; it’s extremely important to stay hydrated throughout your fast.

4) Enjoy detoxifying Herbal Teas throughout the day. Not only does herbal tea continue to nourish and help with digestion; a hot cup of tea in your hands will be a welcome change to all the juice. It is calming and you will begin looking forward to it.

5) Drink 16 oz of Pure Coconut Water each day to replenish lost electrolytes. Very important.

6) Move your body! After the initial days of rest and detox symptoms begin to fade, go for a walk, a light jog or some yoga. This will keep you fit AND keep your mind off hunger as well.

7) TRUST! Stay the course…you will most likely feel crappy for the first 3-5 days; this is normal. It’s called withdrawal 😉 Once you get over that hump, it’s smooth sailing from there. Your body will tell you when it’s time to transition back to eating again.

8) Relax! Try to get into a meditative state throughout your fast. Deeply feel the good it is doing for you. I see people fail all the time because they get inside their head too much. They worry that they aren’t getting enough of “this or that”. Keep in mind that this is only temporary and you will eat again!

9) Make it fun! Mix it up and make different recipes. Use different types of glasses and straws. Chew the juice! Serve it to yourself in a different way each time. This will help avoid the monotony and lighten the mental load